Chapter 11: Explosion: Cherry Blossom Impact!
Ronin had been monitoring Uvogin's reaction carefully. When he first heard the noise from below, he assumed Uvogin was heading for the cockpit.
He didn't expect the giant to stop halfway.
In that split second, Ronin knew he was about to be exposed.
When Uvogin's En washed over him, confirming his position, Ronin immediately abandoned his hiding spot and sprinted toward the top of the airship.
Chakra surged to the soles of his feet. After a brief stumble, he found his footing and began to run across the smooth metal hull as if it were flat ground.
Behind him came the screech of tearing metal.
Uvogin had ripped through the hull, his head popping out just in time to see Ronin dashing away.
Without hesitation, Uvogin vaulted out of the corridor and onto the exterior.
Ronin noticed this and a cold sneer formed on his lips.
He hadn't blown out the windows just to escape. He did it to force the airship to make an emergency landing.
If they were on the ground, he would have room to maneuver or escape if things went south. Staying in the air meant being chased relentlessly in a confined space—a scenario that favored the powerhouse Uvogin.
Now that Uvogin was outside, he was the target. But Uvogin couldn't climb the sheer metal surface like Ronin could.
Furthermore, with Uvogin engaging him outside, no one was left to stop the pilots from landing the ship.
Ronin formed seals as he ran. He spun around in mid-stride, inhaling deeply. The moment the final seal locked into place, he expelled the molded Chakra toward the pursuing giant.
Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu.
Unlike the single, massive blast of the Fireball Jutsu, the Phoenix Flower was designed for multi-target engagement and harassment.
It was named for the way the volley of fireballs resembled the scattered seeds of the touch-me-not plant.
Since realizing he could use C-Rank Jutsu, Ronin had focused his training on mastering these two fire techniques.
His control over the Phoenix Flower was precise.
The fireballs fanned out as they left his mouth, curving in pincer movements to cage Uvogin.
Uvogin, however, didn't have the luxury of grace.
To stay attached to the vertical hull, he had to physically punch his fingers into the metal plating for grip. He was a sitting duck.
Seeing the incoming fireballs, all he could do was flare his aura, wrapping himself in a thicker layer of Ren.
He chose to tank it.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The fireballs slammed into Uvogin one after another.
They didn't knock him off the ship, but they made his climb miserable. The intense heat burned through his basic Ren, leaving scorch marks on his skin.
Ronin watched closely with his Sharingan. The burns were superficial.
However, the fact that a C-Rank Jutsu like the Phoenix Flower could burn through Uvogin's defense at all confirmed his theory: This Uvogin was significantly weaker than the monster who would massacre the Shadow Beasts three years later.
I really have a chance to kill him here.
Once the thought took root, Ronin couldn't suppress it.
His eyes held no heated rage, only icy calculation.
Like Uvogin, Ronin hated leaving grudges unsettled. If Uvogin hadn't chased him, Ronin would have put revenge on the back burner. But Uvogin's persistence was an active threat to his life.
If there was a chance to eliminate the threat now, Ronin wasn't going to walk away.
Down below, Uvogin was enraged. Being burned by these petty tricks and sensing the killing intent radiating from the boy above was an insult.
A rookie like him? Looking down on me?
Uvogin could feel that Ronin was stronger than during their first encounter in the forest.
But he didn't believe for a second that the boy could actually beat him. All he needed was to close the distance. One grip, one squeeze, and the boy would pop.
Seeing that the fire hadn't stopped the giant, Ronin stopped running away.
Instead, he turned and sprinted straight down the hull, charging directly at Uvogin.
He ran perpendicular to the hull, defying gravity in a way that defied physics—a sight that made Uvogin grin savagely.
He's coming to me? Good!
Ronin didn't know about "heaven's timing," but he knew he had the "geographical advantage."
This precarious perch on the outside of a moving airship was the perfect battlefield. Uvogin's footing was unstable, his movements restricted.
Whether Ronin knocked him off to fall to his death or just pummeled him while he was stuck, the advantage was his.
Uvogin didn't understand how Ronin could stand sideways on the metal. But he knew his own mobility was compromised.
Think I'm helpless just because I can't run? Don't underestimate a Spider!
Uvogin, hanging by one hand, raised his leg and smashed his foot into the hull with a thunderous CRUNCH.
He buried his foot deep into the metal, creating a solid anchor. Then, flexing his powerful core muscles, he forced himself upright, standing perpendicular to the hull just like Ronin.
By then, Ronin was already upon him.
In terms of raw martial arts, Ronin couldn't compare to Uvogin.
But Ronin had the ultimate cheat code: The Two-Tomoe Sharingan.
Every twitch of Uvogin's muscles, every subtle shift in his aura flow—it was all laid bare.
As Ronin closed in, Uvogin threw a massive punch. Ronin saw it coming miles away. He simply ducked, letting the fist sail harmlessly over his head.
Simultaneously, Ronin drove his own fist toward Uvogin's chest.
Through the Sharingan, Ronin saw Uvogin's aura rush toward his chest in an instant. This was Ryu (Flow), an advanced application of Nen.
Since the fight began, Uvogin had shifted his Ren into Ken (Fortify).
Ken is the state of maintaining Ren over the entire body for defense. It acts as a shield.
However, a standard Ken only provides about 50% of the defensive power of Ko (Focus).
Using Ryu, a master can instantly shift that aura distribution. By moving aura from other parts of the body to the point of impact, they can raise defense well beyond 50% in a split second.
A battle between two Ken users is a battle of Ryu—a contest of reading the opponent and adjusting aura flow faster than they can strike.
Ronin's mastery of Nen was nowhere near Uvogin's level. He couldn't compete in a battle of Ryu.
But Ronin wasn't using Nen to strike. He was using Chakra.
And by concentrating Chakra instantly into a single point—his right fist—he could unleash a devastating C-Rank Taijutsu technique.
A technique learned from Tsunade and perfected by Sakura Haruno.
Cherry Blossom Impact!